Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

So let me get this straight the coffee thing is a myth? I thought it was so you get the memories of the previous notes out of your nose, so you don't get confused. I have herd it referred to as a pallet cleanser, like ginger with sushi. I know it won't help with nose fatigue but with pallet cleansing? is that a thing?

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

1. This one has never made any sense to me
2. Yes and no. I hate blotter cards, the smell is either extremely nice, or extremely bad. It never smells the same on my skin...ever
3. Hahah oh what I would pay to see someone do this
4. Eh, it's not a bad method
5. Find that hard to believe as well. But maybe this could be similar to a conditioned taste aversion (although, this case doesn't seem to qualify)
6. Never thought of this one
7. Ah, I thought Macy's left those there in case a customer happens to be walking around with a kettle and wants to brew his or her own coffee

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

I'd like to know where Al heard this, lol... what does this even mean?!

Rubbing my wrists together gets rid of the alcohol smell when I first smell a fragrance, nothing more.

Actually, rubbing the wrists will supposedly cause oil from the skin to cover the perfume residue, thus altering it somewhat, a factoid I read somewhere on BN or on a perfume blog (as said by a perfumer? JC Ellena? or Kurkdjian?).

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

On the only gay men wear female fragrance.

The new Brad Pitt for Chanel ad is getting interesting comments on some beauty boards. One a US board, I will say middle America main posters. Are laughing at a man advertising No5, asking what men would even think of wearing it. Unfortunately I am unable to post on that forum, you need a US address it seems.

The card/spill, yes I do use them. Reason I want to know if its a scrubber before even putting it anywhere on me. This decides me if I want to try it on my skin. Yes, samples all the way. In department stores the sa well many of them, have the idea you just sniff it and buy there and then. No.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Originally Posted by 1280adam

I'd like to know where Al heard this, lol... what does this even mean?!

I've heard this from SA's at Sephora as well as L'Occitane. Actually, the L'Occitane lady was down-right adamant about this "fact," because she heard it from a perfumer on a company-sponsored trip to France. They sincerely believe that the added pressure changes the molecular structure of your fragrance.

I've also heard pretty crazy expiration date claims. I was at Neiman's a while back, when a nice lady hawking Clive Christian (!!!) told a poor chap the bottle's only good for 2 years.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Originally Posted by SpicyPepper

So let me get this straight the coffee thing is a myth? I thought it was so you get the memories of the previous notes out of your nose, so you don't get confused. I have herd it referred to as a pallet cleanser, like ginger with sushi. I know it won't help with nose fatigue but with pallet cleansing? is that a thing?

No. But "palate cleansing" is.

​​"What is this secret connection between the soul, and sea, clouds and perfumes? The soul itself appears to be sea, cloud and perfume..." - from Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Originally Posted by SteelerOpera

4) "Spraying into the air and walking thru the mist is the best way to apply fragrance"

I've had two different girlfriends tell me this, including my current one. I wonder how this myth even got started. I think it has to do with the current PC culture of not wanting to offend anyone with your fragrance, so you want the spray it to be as light and undetectable as possible.

My current girlfriend knows I'm into fragrances, so she was all excited the other day when she came over wearing Chanel Coromandel and asked me if I liked her perfume. I told her I couldn't smell anything on her at all (I really couldn't). Then, I asked her if she applied it by "walking through the mist." She said "yes," so I told her that she was wasting her Chanel Coromandel by applying it like that. When I told her, for example, that I usually wear 3 sprays of a fragrance applied inches from my skin, she was shocked and appalled.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Originally Posted by 2ndBakeryAttack

I've had two different girlfriends tell me this, including my current one. I wonder how this myth even got started. I think it has to do with the current PC culture of not wanting to offend anyone with your fragrance, so you want the spray it to be as light and undetectable as possible.

My current girlfriend knows I'm into fragrances, so she was all excited the other day when she came over wearing Chanel Coromandel and asked me if I liked her perfume. I told her I couldn't smell anything on her at all (I really couldn't). Then, I asked her if she applied it by "walking through the mist." She said "yes," so I told her that she was wasting her Chanel Coromandel by applying it like that. When I told her, for example, that I usually wear 3 sprays of a fragrance applied inches from my skin, she was shocked and appalled.

Yeah, my wife insists on that shit of spraying it and walking through it as if she's afraid to get any alcohol on herself. I saw with frustration, "Here, give me that!" and spray her down proper, where I like her to smell real good!

I remember there was an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that made that exact recommendation to "spray, and then walk away". Maybe that's the genesis? That was about nine years ago or so.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Fragrances really need application to the skin. The skin is warm and humid. The heat causes convection of the fragrance molecules to rise. The skin also contains oils that interact with a fragrance. Spraying it on clothing can cause the clothes to smell like the fragrance, but it won't project. I wear if first and foremost for myself, so I apply it on my chest and neck so the warm air carries it to my nose throughout the day.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

This thread really makes me smile, thank you for the laugh

1 thing I'm not sure about is that all fragrances NEED to be sprayed on skin in order to be appreciated. I'm a scent lover with serious perfume allergies so I can only wear perfume on outer clothes. Most good perfumes are built well enough to also smell good on paper and textile. Sure, because of different physical qualities, different ingredients will evaporate at different times, skin adds a few extra dimensions like heat and your own skin smell (that depends on many different factors).
Professional perfumers always evaluate perfumes and their ingredients on blotters first, before the end product is tested on the skin of several focus groups.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

I remember there was an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that made that exact recommendation to "spray, and then walk away". Maybe that's the genesis? That was about nine years ago or so.

I remember this as well and remember thinking how stupid the idea of this was for every fragrance. That was an interesting show and I miss it, but I really think they were flying on the seat of their pants and just making shit up as they went along.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

The spraying into the air thing. Well, one its bad for your hair!!!!! Every hairdresser will tell you, spraying alcohol on your hair is not a good idea. Also walking through it, you are inhaling(asthma sufferers), dries the skin of your face as well.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

I remember there was an episode of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy that made that exact recommendation to "spray, and then walk away". Maybe that's the genesis? That was about nine years ago or so

No, it's been around for a lot longer than that - they were just recycling a very old idea.

- - - Updated - - -

I've just found a source that dates it to 1971...

"Spraying in a cloud in front of you and then walking through the scent mist to get just the right amount is a technique which began by the launch of Aromatics Elixir by Clinique in 1971. This method was especially divised to cater for the bombastic blast of this superperfume and was then transfered through all of the Lauder Group companies."http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.co.uk/...y-perfume.html

I'm not convinced that was the first usage - can anyone find anything older?

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Originally Posted by Oscroft

No, it's been around for a lot longer than that - they were just recycling a very old idea.

- - - Updated - - -

I've just found a source that dates it to 1971...

"Spraying in a cloud in front of you and then walking through the scent mist to get just the right amount is a technique which began by the launch of Aromatics Elixir by Clinique in 1971. This method was especially divised to cater for the bombastic blast of this superperfume and was then transfered through all of the Lauder Group companies."http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.co.uk/...y-perfume.html

I'm not convinced that was the first usage - can anyone find anything older?

That is what I thought, that it was popularised because it was used as a sales technique with the legendary Aromatics Elixir, and I can tell you that it did gain quite a bit of ground at that time. That doesn't mean that the idea wasn't around before then though.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

oh god, I've encountered a l'occitane rep who'd been on a company-sponsored trip to france too. She was adamant that there was a special nose that one in a thousand men have (and absolutely no women, ever, this was unthinkable) that made them able to distinguish different notes. Don't know where in france they go, but it must involve time travel and a lot of blowing.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Myth: "Synthetic ingredients are not as good as natural" While some artificial ingredients are not on par with natural, Many are direct chemical reproductions, and are identical in every way. Everything can be broken down into it's chemical constituents. The problem is that some reproductions are not the chemical formula, but someones interpretation of what it should smell like. Think Artificial strawberry...This is a stereotype of what someone thinks strawberry should smell like, and has been around so long that we equate it with strawberry.

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

I was reminded of this one today, more of a lack of reality than a myth. This woman approached my counter, I greeted her with a friendly "What can I help you find today?" She totally ignored me with a sour look on her face and I knew I was in trouble. After some more coaxing she finally revealed she wanted to buy a set of Gucci Guilty. I gladly led her in the right direction, gave her the prices and she was picking up set after set on the counter looking inside saying:

"Aren't any of these bottles filled all the way up? Are these all used??"

Biting my tongue I calmly explained to her that they are all filled with 3 ounces, the bottle can actually hold more and that for various reasons they cannot be filled to the top. I, of course was hiding the fact that all perfume counters open every bottle, spray exactly 13 sprays from each and store the juice in a large tupperware bowl in the back office. I hope she didn't catch on to us....

Re: Fragrance Myths and realities

Originally Posted by SteelerOpera

...........Biting my tongue I calmly explained to her that they are all filled with 3 ounces, the bottle can actually hold more and that for various reasons they cannot be filled to the top. I, of course was hiding the fact that all perfume counters open every bottle, spray exactly 13 sprays from each and store the juice in a large tupperware bowl in the back office. I hope she didn't catch on to us....